A Syrian man undergoes a COVID-19 test in the capital Damascus, on Aug. 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)
--COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia nudge 300,000;
--Iraq sees new record of daily 4,348 infections;
--Iran's total cases hit 343,203;
--Israel's GDP contracts 28.7 pct in Q2 mainly due to COVID-19.
CAIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 continues raging in the Middle East as the tally in Saudi Arabia nudged 300,000, and Iraq saw its daily infections of the virus renewed for four days in a row.
Saudi Health Ministry announced Sunday 1,227 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 298,542.
It said 39 more deaths and 2,466 recovered cases from the virus were confirmed, pushing the death toll to 3,408 and recoveries to 266,953.
The Iraqi Health Ministry reported 4,348 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase since the outbreak of the disease.
Out of the 176,931 confirmed cases since the outbreak in the country, 5,860 have passed away and 125,374 others recovered, it added.
Iraqi Deputy Health Minister Hazim al-Jumaili said in a press release that the Iraqi Higher Committee for Health and National Safety decided to cancel the weekly three-day full curfew to replace them with partial curfew every week.
He said that the committee also reduced the partial curfew hours to be from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m local time.
Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, recorded 2,133 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 343,203, Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced.
The death toll from the virus in the country rose to 19,639 after 147 new fatalities were added overnight, and there have been a total of 297,468 recoveries so far.
Policemen wearing masks ride a motorcycle in Ankara Turkey on Aug. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
Turkey confirmed 1,192 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising the total diagnosed cases to 249,309.
Meanwhile, 19 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,974. A total of 997 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 230,969 in Turkey since the outbreak.
Turkish government said it will establish neighborhood inspection teams to enforce the measures against the COVID-19, according to Turkey's interior ministry on Sunday.
The members of state institutions, local administrations, law enforcements and school officials will be responsible for these teams, it said.
Kuwait on Sunday reported 508 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 76,205 and the death toll to 501, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Currently, 7,569 patients are receiving treatment, including 117 in ICU, according to the statement.
The ministry also announced the recovery of 616 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 68,135.
Kuwait will move into the fourth phase of its five-phase plan to return to normal life, which is set to start on Aug. 18 and the government will permit salons, gyms, barbershops, tailors, and spas to reopen and restaurants to offer more services.
People wearing face masks are seen in Rabat, Morocco, on Aug. 16, 2020. (Xinhua/Chadi)
The Qatari Health Ministry announced 271 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 115,080.
Meanwhile, 289 more recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 111,794, while the death toll increased by one to 193.
Israeli Health Ministry reported 447 new cases and 11 deaths, bringing the tally of infections to 92,680 and the death toll from the pandemic to 685.
Israel's GDP contracted by annualized 28.7 percent in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the first quarter of the year, according to a report released by the state's Central Bureau of Statistics on Sunday.
This decline, sharpest in the last 40 years, is mainly due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the steps taken by the government to stop the spread of the virus.
This figure means an 8.1-percent damage to GDP on a quarterly basis, far more severe than the estimates of the Israeli government.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday announced 210 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 64,312.
And 123 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 57,694, while three more deaths were added, pushing the country's death toll to 364.
Lebanon has received field hospitals from a number of countries in the past few days, including France, Jordan, Russia and Qatar, to aid in the treatment of injured people and COVID-19 patients. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
Morocco on Sunday reported 1,472 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to 42,489.
The number of recoveries from the coronavirus in Morocco increased to 29,344 after 778 more were added, while the death toll rose by 26 to 658. More than 170 patients are in intensive care units.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Sunday by 439 cases to 8,881, its daily record, while death toll went up by six to 103, the Health Ministry reported.
Head of the Health Parliamentary Committee Assem Araji said Sunday that Lebanon has entered into a dangerous zone as the number of infections has been witnessing a remarkable daily increase over the past days.
He urged people to take precautions while explaining that the health sector is not capable enough to provide its services to a big number of infected people.
The Omani Ministry of Health reported 162 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed cases to 83,086.
Ten new deaths were reported, taking the death toll to 572, while 130 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 77,680.
The ministry started on Sunday the second stage of the national survey on antibodies to help reveal the conditions of the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Palestine the same day reported 381 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases of Palestinians infected with the deadly virus since March 5 to 21,935.
Two new deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 121, Palestinian Health Ministry said. ■
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